Breaking into Hollywood: the story of a Chinese girl making waves in the film and television Industry
Yihong Location Scouting while working as an Art Director on Think Like A Dog
Los Angeles, CA, June 06, 2020 (LaPost)- Hollywood, as glamourous as it sounds, is actually known to be one of the most competitive industries in the world with thousands of professionals from around the world vying for a few coveted spots in major motion picture and television productions.
We have a chance to interview an individual who has managed to overcome these odds and achieve considerable success as a Set Designer/Art Director in some of Hollywood’s most successful productions. For several years, Yihong Ding has played critical roles as a Set Designer/Art Director in the Art Departments of some of motion pictures and tv programs that are seen by millions of people each year. We sat down with Ms. Ding to discuss how she was able to maintain her level of success.
Tell us about your journey to Hollywood:
I was born and raised in Shanghai, China and grew up seeing the American entertainment industry and how it brought so many people from around the world together. Throughout my childhood, I always had the goal of being involved in some way. Knowing that there were not many Asian women in the industry, I knew this would be very difficult feat, which motivated me even further. Through my hard work, I was accepted into one of the best film school in USA, the American Film Institute (AFI) in 2012 and since completing my studies two years, later I have been continuously working in the film and television industry ever since.
I have to ask, since I am curious too: What is the Art Department’s role in a production?
Haha, good question. The Art Department is probably one of the most unsung departments in the whole film industry, that is why not many people are familiar of the critical role it plays in the movies and tv shows people enjoy every day. The Art Department is responsible for every visual aspect of a production from set design to concept art to props, the Art Department is responsible for making the director’s vision a reality.
That does sounds very important; now, tell me what role do you play in a production and how did you get to be one of the most in demand art department professionals?
I started my career in the industry as a Production Designer and Art Director working on independent films. After receiving acclaim in these smaller productions, I began working as a Set Designer in the Art Department on larger television shows and movies, which is probably the most crucial step in the creativity process. As a set designer, I am the bridge that connects the Production Designer’s mind and what appears on screen. In order to be a good set designer, you need to be creative and logical. A lot of the production designers I have worked with have very artistic minds and sometimes, their ideas can be “crazy” and impossible. Turning these ‘crazy’ ideas into a reality is probably my favorite part of the job. The ability to use my creative mind to envision scenes that capture an audience’s mind while also using my analytical mind to turning these scenes into tangible sets is what attracted me to the job and what continues to drive me in every new production I work on.
Do you find big difference in independent movies and larger, big-budget production?
Yes and no. The purpose of the art department is the same no matter if the show or budget is. Usually a larger production has a larger crew and more resources, which always helps. If you are working on independent projects you have to be more creative when it comes to problem solving, which is not always a bad thing.
I stopped working on independent projects after I got a chance to work as an Assistant Art Director on a major motion picture that was a co-production between production companies in the US and China. I was working with a very established Production Designer from United States, that experience changed my life. I was very fascinated by the knowledge he had about design and films, and throughout the production, he would tell me how Art Department is constructed in Hollywood and what is the reason behind it. This experience made me realize how much more could be accomplished with a larger staff and the ability to manage this staff. You know, you always want to see the bigger pictures. So I ended up changed my career strategy and I am very glad I did.
Since you mentioned, could you tell me a bit more about the challenges of working on a production that spans two continents?
The film was one of the most challenging productions I have worked on for many reasons. The toughest aspect was melding how the film industry runs in China and how it runs in Hollywood. While demanding, I have never learned more from another production and the experience opened the door for future international production collaborations because of the collective market between the US and Asia.
One example of this was in 2018, when I served as Art Director for another US-China co-produced film entitled, ‘Think Like a Dog.’ While still challenging, I was able to see significant improvements compared to my last experience. International partnerships like this take time; Rome wasn’t built in a day.
There are a lot of talented European filmmakers graduating from the film school in United States who go back to their home countries to become bridges between the film industries between those companies and the US. In a similar fashion, I hope to do the same thing between the US film industry and Asia.
Every time I go back to China, I meet with different art department professionals in the Chinese film industry to share my experiences. It’s my hope that my experiences in large productions in the US will inspire other set designers and art directors to try and succeed in the United States.
Thank you, that is very inspiring to hear. Now tell me some of the project you are working on now in Unite States, I know you are currently a set designer on The Orville Season 3 right?
Yes, I was working on the Fox Television, ‘Orville’ until it went dark because of the pandemic; as things go back to normal, I look forward to resuming work on the show to complete the season. Since the shows haven’t aired yet, I can’t reveal much but I can say that we were developing several innovative sets that I’m sure will be enjoyed by the audiences
I’ve also worked on the series, ‘DON’T’ which is an interesting game show that will premier on ABC on June 11. It is a “physical prank sprit” show that can be enjoyed by a whole family. Designing some of the pranks set on the show is the most challenging part for me, but it was very fun to work on such a unique project.
You’ll also be able to see some of my sets on Season 3 of the Netflix series, ‘On My Block’ which is streaming now. Trying to achieve a realistic look of a working class family in Los Angeles was a very fun project and I hope your readers enjoy it!
Last not least, I worked on Making The Cut, which is a fashion show streaming on Amazon Prime and starring supermodel, Heidi Klum and fashion designer Tim Gunn.
That’s such a variety of genre you have worked on. Do you have a preference?
Haha, not really. I think all the shows I have worked on have it’s own feature that inspire me. And I like working on different kind of genre, I will always learn new things, and never get bored from them.
I know I am not allowed to ask about the Orville, but since you are working on a Sci-Fi show, it must have a lot of VFX in it. What you think about all the virtual reality technology that’s affecting the film industry?
I am glad you asked, I have been looking into it for a while. I believe we are definitely facing a new era in-terms of the film making process for sure. There are many productions that have been adapting into a new workflow that Alex McDowell introduced a few years ago. He has a Ted Talk few years back, that you can look it up, it is very interesting. Basically he is suggesting that instead of placing VFX as part of the Post-Production process, which is what we are doing now for most of the productions, move it to Pre-Production using virtual reality technique and real-time rendering engine to shorten the production time and to enhance the level of visual controlling we can have so that a more accurate visual can be pretended in front of the audience.
It is a very revolutionary thought, and I glad to see it has being utilized more and more into productions. I think it’s just a matter of time, until it becoming a normal industry workflow.
Have you faced any challenges being a minority female in an industry that has long been thought of as male-dominated?
Hmm…. yes and no. My culture background is different then the majority of the people who work in the industry. And it is not an easy industry to break into, since it does rely on whom you know. But it also relies on how much skill you have. It took me a while to break into it, but as cliché as it sounds, although I have felt disappointed many times, I never give up on myself during the whole time. I worked hard to earn it. I think that is still the core philosophy that’s been believed in the industry.
I know people have been criticized about the industry being a male dominated field, but I have seen changes ever since I start working. I know a lot of Asian people besides me have established their career in the industry, and I know there are more and more women breaking into the industry too. I mean me, as an Asian female working on a large-scale sci-fi show is a good example already. I hope that my presence in the industry can inspire a new generation of young female set designers to have the confidence to work in the entertainment industry.
Now, anything else you want to say to the young professionals out there?
I guess I have two suggestions:
- Know what you are good at, and make your career strategy base on that.
- Really work on it, and don’t give up.
Thank you very much! Miss Ding, this is all very inspiring to hear!
Yihong Ding is a Los Angeles based Set Designer and Art Director whose credits include work ‘The Orville’, ‘Think Like a Dog’, ‘Making the Cut’, and ‘On My Block.’ She has won numerous awards at film festivals around the world and is a graduate of the American Film Institute. She is a member of the American Directors Guild, Local 800, Set Designers where she was selected to be part of the ADG’s Production Design Initiative.
